The Little Bakehouse - French Bakery — Restaurant in Lethbridge

2024 Review:

Stopped in for a selection of pastries. Each one was perfectly prepared in authentic French style and every bit as good as the next. The chocolate almond croissant was an exceptional standout and a particularly good value. The parisien flan and chocolate tart were extremely memorable as was the mille feuille!

It’s a fantastic place to go for a special treat but the pricing on the premium pastries, while justified, makes it more suitable for an indulgence. The lemon meringue, chocolate tart and especially the Paris Brest and parisien flan all fall into this category. The eclair, while tasty was nothing particularly unusual, a bit on the small side, and is far less deserving of its premium pricing.

We also purchased a loaf of white bread which I would not do again - but the pastries - oh the pastries - still thinking about them two weeks later.

Update: May 9, 2025

We returned again today after a recent visit when they had no pastries and were happy to find they have returned.

Interestingly, the pastries while mostly the same menu, are all slightly different. The flan and chocolate eclair are a bit a more generous in portion, which I feel is very smart particularly in the case of the eclair.

All were extremely tasty and our favourite chocolate almond croissant is somehow even better then it’s been on previous trips. There would be a photo except we gobbled them down on the car ride home.

The various pastries were a birthday indulgence and all quite good; my husband particularly enjoyed today’s Paris Brest.

That said, however, the parisien flan which I have thought of so often over the last several months was a bit of a letdown - the bottom pastry was too dark, I missed the absent icing sugar dusting on the pastry was lacking - to me it gave the perfect hint of sweetness to the rich custard of the flan (even if it isn’t standard). I suspect it was over baked given the extremely dark colour of the pastry case on the bottom (the top is as expected) as the custard filling was way too firm almost to the point of rubbery, and unlike its previous lusciously creamy...

This is an update review. My original review is below. I went back to the Little Bakehouse this week. The staff were professionally dressed and cleanly handling the food. We tried the multigrain loaf, the chocolate brioche, and the cheese covered focaccia. The baked goods are of high quality and so good (beautiful, delicious, and great texture). It has become one of my favourite local spots and I wish I could go more. I am so glad I went back!!!

Additionally, I feel that 2 stars was way too harsh of a rating. I was in a 1-2 star place this week and the Little Bakehouse is a 1000% times cleaner.

Original review: The bread was so good, I was nibbling in it in my car on the way home. However the people behind the counter were not wearing aprons, just regular outside clothing. They also were on their mobile phones, touching their hair, and counting money. They didn’t wash their hands or use tongs to touch the food, just grabbing it with their hands. If that is how lax the staff are in front of customers, I can only imagine what the kitchen looks like. If this review was just based on food, I would 100% be back. However when taking the lack of cleanliness, I am not sure if I will return and I am pretty...

I’m not usually one to leave reviews but I was absolutely blown away during our stop in today! The sandwiches were very flavourful but the main reason you should stop by was the service! We came in at a very busy time this Saturday so the dining room was almost all the way full but the lovely lady with the locs had us seated and waiting in no time at all. My mother only really speaks French but she had no problem helping her out and assisting to make adjustments even during the busy lunch rush. She even cut us some of the take-home-tart (absolutely delectable the cream just melts in your mouth!!) to have in. It seemed like she was the only one in at the time but we didn’t have to wait very long and she was very personable and took her time with us. I would definitely recommend brunch here, especially if you are of French origin, you will feel right at home! We can’t wait to come back and see her...